Comprehensive Study Notes: 50 Cent Biography, Artistic Development, and the Rise of Shady/Aftermath

Curtis Jackson, known professionally as 50 Cent, was born on July $6$ , $1976$ , in South Jamaica, Queens, New York—a neighborhood marked by poverty, gang activity, and a rich hip-hop history.
Born to Sabrina Jackson when she was $15$ years old, Jackson grew up amidst the local drug trade, where his mother became a prominent dealer until her unresolved death when he was $8$ .
Following his mother's death, he was raised by his grandmother in a large household of $9$ other children, leading to substantial unsupervised time on the streets.

At age $12$ , Jackson began selling crack cocaine to achieve financial independence and avoid burdening his grandmother.
By age $19$ , he had risen to become a local drug kingpin earning roughly $\$150{,}000$ per month, though his street activity led to dropping out of high school and periods of incarceration.
During his time in jail, he drew musical inspiration from artists like KRS-1, Rakim, and Run-DMC, and began composing his own lyrics.
The birth of his son, Marquise, served as the catalyst for Jackson to leave narcotics distribution and pursue music full-time.

In $1996$ , Run-DMC's Jam Master Jay mentored Jackson in formal song structure, specifically teaching him how to arrange lyrics into $16$ -bar verses, before signing him to a production deal in $1997$ .
Jackson built an underground following through independent mixtapes, prompting Columbia Records to sign him in $1999$ with a $\$65{,}000$ advance.
Contractual payouts to Jam Master Jay ( $\$50{,}000$ ) and legal counsel depleted the advance, forcing Jackson to continue selling drugs to cover basic expenses.
Frustrated by promotional delays, Jackson wrote the provocative single "How to Rob" to gain industry visibility, which was later included on the soundtrack for In Too Deep.

In May $2000$ , Jackson survived an assassination attempt outside his grandmother's home, surviving $9$ gunshot wounds, including injuries to his hip and head.
Due to the risks and liabilities surrounding the incident, Columbia Records released Jackson from his contract and cancelled his debut album.
Following his recovery, Jackson returned to the underground mixtape circuit to rebuild his career independently.

Marshall Mathers III (Eminem) was born on October $17$ , $1972$ , and experienced an unstable childhood moving between Missouri and Detroit before settling on Detroit's east side at age $12$ .
After dropping out of high school and releasing underground records, he was discovered and signed by Dr. Dre.
His debut The Slim Shady LP ( $1998$ ) earned multi-platinum success, followed by critically acclaimed and multi-Grammy-winning albums The Marshall Mathers LP ( $2000$ ) and The Eminem Show ( $2002$ ).
In $2003$ , Mathers won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Lose Yourself," featured in the autobiographical film 8 Mile ( $2002$ ).

In $2002$ , Jackson recorded "Wanksta," an energetic track targeting rival rapper Ja Rule amid an ongoing feud that began in $1999$ .
Eminem heard the track through manager Paul Rosenberg and signed Jackson to Shady/Aftermath Records in June $2002$ for a reported $\$1{,}000{,}000$ .
Three of Jackson's tracks, led by "Wanksta," were featured on the 8 Mile soundtrack, generating widespread radio airplay and public anticipation.

In February $2003$ , 50 Cent released his major-label debut LP, Get Rich or Die Tryin', co-produced by Eminem and Dr. Dre.
The album debuted at number one on the Billboard charts, selling nearly $1{,}000{,}000$ copies within days and surpassing $6.4\text{ million}$ copies by the end of $2003$ as the year's top-selling album.
Driven by the hit single "In Da Club," the album reflected Jackson's real-life street experiences, earning $5$ Grammy nominations and $5$ World Music Awards.

Following his commercial breakthrough, Jackson purchased Mike Tyson's former estate for $\$4.1\text{ million}$ .
Aware of ongoing street hazards—particularly after the $2002$ murder of Jam Master Jay—Jackson implemented rigorous security protocols, including bulletproof SUVs and ballistic vests for himself and his son.
In late $2003$ , he released Beg for Mercy with his rap collective G-Unit while pursuing acting and book publishing opportunities.